5 Faves – Kerry’s Picks for Camping Gear

1. Camp chair – My childhood friend, Shayne once said that having a good camp chair at the end of a long day of hiking or paddling is as important as a good tent. I agree. It took me a while to find it. Thanks to fellow Babe, Stacy, who had the REI FlexLite camp chair at our first Babes retreat, I found my dream sit. Small enough to fit in my rear hatch, yet really sturdy and comfortable, the FlexLite travels everywhere with me. The FlexLite sells for about $72.50, but I got lucky, and got it for about $45, when REI had one of its frequent sales.

2. Camp shoes – Nothing feels better after a day on the water than putting my very damp feet into a warm, dry pair of shoes. I like mine soft, like a slipper, yet hard soled, so I can walk on rough terrain. These suede moccasins from Minnetonka fit the bill. Easily stored and very comfortable, you can find them in almost any shoe store. While I bought mine at a neighborhood shoe store, I see them all the time at Famous Footwear for about $45 or less.

3. Nano Puff Pullover – These are just awesome, and very pretty. Water and wind resistant, lightweight, but warm, these little Patagonia pullovers of many colors are the boss. When not being worn to shake off the chill, they can double as a nice, fluffy, camp pillow. A little pricey at $165, I have successfully purchased all four of mine for vastly less. Just Google Nano Puff pullover, and hunt them down. It’s totally worth the search….

4. Fire Starter Kindling Kit– I’ve had mine since I was 22 years old. That’s more than 30 years. Thanks to a camping mentor of mine, Ernie Schmidt, I had the joy, of one time, starting a camp fire with flint and steel. I still have that steel in my kit, along with kindling, matches and a lighter. One never knows when one might need a warm fire to dry wet paddling gear.

5. Stainless Steel Mini Cookware – I found this cute little mini set – pot and kettle from MSR Seagull – at a local outfitters in the Adirondacks last summer. Fantastic! The pot has a great attached handle that folds up nice and neat, which makes it easy to store in my day hatch. The kettle – well it’s just cute! I can’t remember what I paid for the pair, $40 comes to mind, but they are now all I take with me for cooking when I camp.

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